A new study released in the September/October 2012 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior shows the benefits of reducing television viewing.
The researchers from the University of Minnesota studied 153 adults and 72 teenagers for one year. They held 6 group meetings, communicated via monthly newsletters and also set-up twelve activities to be done at home. Each household had a "TV Allowance" attached to all the tvs in the home.
Television hours, foods eaten and their activity levels were measured before the start of the program and after the program was completed.
There was a definite association was found among teenagers between reducing the number of hours they watched television and and decreased weight gain. The findings for adults was not as significant.
This study shows that letting kids watch too much television can increase their risk of being overweight.
We know kids are forming these habits well before they become teenagers. We also know that parents' habits influence a child's behavior.
The pediatric association recommends that screen time be limited to 2 hours a day.
Now if that seems impossible especially with all the "new season" programming set to start, you may need to take some baby steps to reducing your family's tv time.
Here are some tips to help you get started.
How to reduce kids TV time and promote physical activity to kids.
Print this family agreement and monitoring sheet that you can post on your fridge to help the whole family manage their TV time.
What to do with your extra time! Lots. Here are some of Chef Solus' favorite things to do inside and outside the home!
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